Author
Elizabeth (Izzy) Montgomery, MPA
Health Policy Analyst
Contact
ACHI Communications
501-526-2244
jlyon@achi.net
Maternal depression is a common and serious condition that can occur during pregnancy or after childbirth. Also referred to as perinatal depression, this mood disorder affects not only a mother’s mental and physical health but also family well-being and infant development. While maternal depression is treatable with support, many women go undiagnosed or do not receive timely care.
In this infographic, we highlight key data on maternal depression in Arkansas, including:
- Prevalence before, during, and after pregnancy.
- Utilization of emergency department and inpatient care for behavioral health events following childbirth.
- Gaps in follow-up care after crisis episodes.
- Recent policy changes and screening recommendations designed to improve early detection and treatment.
- Trends in postpartum depression screening rates.
For more on maternal and infant health in Arkansas, see our topic page.
References
- Slomian, J., Honvo, G., Emonts, P., Reginster, J.-Y., & Bruyère, O. (2019). Consequences of maternal postpartum depression: A systematic review of maternal and infant outcomes. Women’s Health, 15. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745506519844044
- Arkansas Center for Health Improvement. (2024, July 11). 100 Arkansas moms: Pre-pregnancy risk factors. https://achi.net/publications/100-arkansas-moms-pre-pregnancy-risk-factors/
- Arkansas Center for Health Improvement. (2024, July 11). 100 Arkansas moms: Pregnancy risk factors. https://achi.net/publications/100-arkansas-moms-pregnancy-risk-factors/
- Arkansas Center for Health Improvement. (2024, July 11). 100 Arkansas moms: Postpartum risk factors. https://achi.net/publications/100-arkansas-moms-postpartum-risk-factors/
- Arkansas Center for Health Improvement. (2024, August 6). Maternal behavioral health events during the birthing journey. https://achi.net/publications/maternal-behavioral-health-events-during-the-birthing-journey/
- Amer, S. A., Zaitoun, N. A., Abdelsalam, H. A., Abbas, A., Ramadan, M. S., Ayal, H. M., Ba-Gais, S. E. A., Basha, N. M., Allahham, A., Agyenim, E. B., & Al-Shroby, W. A. (2024). Exploring predictors and prevalence of postpartum depression among mothers: Multinational study. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 1308. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18502-0
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, May 28). Pregnancy-related deaths: Data from maternal mortality review committees in 38 U.S. states, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality/php/data-research/index.html
- Hagan, J. F., Shaw, J. S., & Duncan, P. M. (2017). Bright futures guidelines for health supervision of infants, children, and adolescents (4th edition). American Academy of Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1542/9781610020237
- Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Preventive services for non-grandfathered (PPACA) plans: Well-child visits, newborn, infant, children, adolescents & ages 18-21. Accessed August 18, 2025. https://secure.arkansasbluecross.com/members/report.aspx?policyNumber=2012046&viewIntro=yes
- Simas, T. A. M., Hoffman, C., Emily S. Miller, M.S., Metz, T. & the ACOG Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines-Obstetrics. Screening and diagnosis of mental health conditions during pregnancy and postpartum: ACOG Clinical Practice Guideline No. 4. (2023). Obstetrics and Gynecology, 141(6), 1232–1261. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000005200
- Arkansas Act 316 of 2023. https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2FACT316.pdf
